Overview
Take a trip to Koh Tao on your Thailand Vacation
Koh Tao is an island situated off the Gulf of Thailand and is known for its excellent scuba diving, some of the best in the gulf on a Thailand vacation. Tourism is its almost exclusive industry. You can see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, lots of small fish, and reef sharks and there is a possibility of seeing a whale shark.
It is less developed than nearby Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan but has become increasingly popular, especially with the younger crowd. The white sand beach north of Ao Tanot is the best place on the island for snorkeling due to its very clear waters. There is a sunken catamaran in the bay. This beach can be reached by a long-tail boat. The most popular resort is Sairee on the west coast, which has a white sand beach with a length of 1.7 kilometres/ 1 mile interrupted only by a few huge boulders and some resort hotels and restaurants. Chalok Baan Khao, to the south of the island, is becoming popular as an alternative for those wishing to escape the crowds.
Nearly any time of the year except November is good diving weather in Koh Tao and visibility can exceed 40 metres/130 feet. Average visibility is around 15 to 20 metres/50 to 65 feet. It is possible and perfectly comfortable to swim and dive without a wetsuit year-round. However, as with most diving, a wetsuit is recommended to help reduce the risk of cuts or injury.
You can rent a bicycle or a scooter and ride around the island. Shark Bay is another good place to go snorkeling Other spots include Koh Nang Yuan, Freedom beach, Laem Thian, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay and Tanote Bay. Chumpon Pinnacle, a dive site to the west of the island has a reputation for divers in search of both whale sharks and bull sharks. However, because of warmer water temperatures recently, a great number of bull sharks have migrated to cooler waters. The island is host to over 130 species of hard corals and over 223 species of reef fishes.
Apart from scuba diving and snorkeling on Thailand tours, hiking and rock climbing are popular pastimes for visitors.
You can rent a bicycle or a scooter and ride around the island. Shark Bay is another good place to go snorkeling Other spots include Koh Nang Yuan, Freedom beach, Laem Thian, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay and Tanote Bay. Chumpon Pinnacle, a dive site to the west of the island has a reputation for divers in search of both whale sharks and bull sharks. However, because of warmer water temperatures recently, a great number of bull sharks have migrated to cooler waters. The island is host to over 130 species of hard corals and over 223 species of reef fishes.
Apart from scuba diving and snorkeling on Thailand tours, hiking and rock climbing are popular pastimes for visitors.
At a Glance
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Thai Baht (THB)What do the experts say?
Thailand is a friendly destination with fun & warm people, great food, and impressive cultural and beach experiences. Simply wandering neighbourhoods, visiting temples, shops & viewpoints, and eating at local restaurants are what I enjoy most when visiting Thailand. The south of Thailand is a special location with beautiful scenery and a seemingly laid back lifestyle, so visiting this area is always a special and memorable experience.
The experience of travelling from island to island on longtail boats in the south of Thailand is something that still resonates with me after many years.
For families, visiting a sustainable community in Koh Yao Yai can bring the trip to life with local interaction. For honeymooners, personalizing memorable experiences with special menus, in-room dining and more can really elevate the experience for Goway guests.
All the people that I met at the hotel, restaurants, and parks were always smiling at me. I can feel that they are grateful to all international tourists. A Thai smile inspires me most and makes me want to revisit.
Koh Tao
Koh Tao Beach
Koh Tao Reef
Koh Tao
Koh Tao Bay
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ExcellentBased on 5,203 ReviewsOur trip to Japan was great. All our Goway arrangements preformed like clockwork and the guides for the tours were wonderful. Unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was in total fog but at least the lunch was very good and so was the drum solo, also our tour guide kept our spirits up ( she was the best).
Taryn picked hotels that were very convenient to the meeting point of our tours which was much appreciated and organized all aspects of our trip perfectly. So from our airport pickup to our last day in Tokyo everything ran very smoothly so we have used Goway before and will certainly use it again and reccommend Goway to others.JWWe had a great experience with Goaway travel our travel agent,FARNAZ. was very helpful and patient with us in planning our vacation to Greece. She was very thorough and professional and excellent with laying out our flights and our itinerary for our trip would highly recommend her very professional. Thank you again Franaz for your help and for me and my wife to have experienced a wonderful time in GreececustomerFarnaz booked Greece and Italy - she is fantastic! She listened to our needs and planned a beautiful itinerary that everyone enjoyed. All transfers went smoothly and I am looking to book more trips with her! AmyWe have used Goway Travel for previous trips and have been very happy with their excellent service. Our last trip to New Zealand and Australia was no exception. Our agent, Lori Mazzono, got tuned into the sort of trip we were hoping to have immediately. The various booking she provided were, without exception, exceptional and exactly what we envisioned, We really don't think we would have changed anything. tBruce BelshawMary was absolutely fantastic to work with. She was incredibly responsive and quick to assist with every update and change my clients made throughout the planning process. Her expertise was invaluable, from recommending the perfect resorts to advising on the best way to travel between the islands.
My clients loved every moment of their trip, especially their resort stays and overwater bungalow experiences. As this was their honeymoon, creating a seamless and memorable journey was so important, and Mary exceeded expectations. They rated their experience a 5 out of 5 and could not have been happier.
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Harjit CElisa planned our trip. We were met at the airport by Paul who drove us to Arusha. Adam, our guide and driver was with us the whole trip and was very knowledgeable about the country and the animals & birds we encountered. Accommodations were excellent, meals were delicious and the Tanzanian people we met at each location were so kind and welcoming. A wonderful trip.pat vickersWe had a wonderful trip to Peru for 11 days organized by Goway. Overall the trip was great, we loved our guides throughout, some of the hotels were truly amazing and it was helpful having everything organized and having a point person to ask questions and check in while we were there.
Some main highlights were:
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Eric Paul SchatzelShalini at Goway Travel was super helpful arranging our dream trip to Greece. We suggested locations and sights we wanted to see and she modified the trip perfectly for us. Working with local guides, securing transfers and accommodations as needed. Great hotels, private transfers, perfect locations, and she listened to all of our "wants" to make sure our trip was truly customized. Made for an amazing trip!Lorena BarettaEasy to work with . The reservationist gave me several options in a timely manner.Rita Allen
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